Posts in Category: Bathroom ideas

Enlarging their cramped and dated bathroom and ditching the tub finally gave the owners the spa-style super-luxe shower room they'd always wanted

The owners bought their house knowing that they could make a big difference to what was already there and create the sort of home they’d dreamed of.

‘When we moved in, the house had a bathroom you really wouldn’t want to spend too much time in, and a tiny en suite,’ they say. ‘We were keen to improve the property, so we decided to extend the master bedroom and en suite. We had a good idea of what we wanted the new shower room to be like, but in order to make the most of the space, we employed an architect to help us draw up the plans.’

The pair already had a great local builder in mind to carry out the project. ‘We knew him before and had inspected his work, so we were confident it was up to scratch,’ they say. ‘He did such an amazing job.’

The new en suite is much bigger than it was and, as it’s only the couple that use it, they decided to treat themselves by recreating a hotel spa look, with plenty of natural stone and mirrors.

‘We’ve always liked Villeroy & Boch bathrooms,’ say the owners. ‘And as we’re not planning to work on this room again for a long time, we splashed out on our sanitaryware. We also chose gorgeous tiles that are different sizes, but all made of luxurious grey stone.’

Rather than having blinds, the couple added opaque glass for privacy. For a similarly fuss-free look, the shower fittings were kept very streamlined. ‘We looked hard to find a shower with as little chrome as possible,’ they say. ‘And we chose a glass shower enclosure because we wanted it to look almost transparent when you walk in.’

The one thing the couple had kept from the previous bathroom was a radiator. ‘Now it has a lot more space around it, so it’s more effective,’ they say. ‘And because everything else is neutral, we treated ourselves to bright hammam towels to add bursts of colour.’

The plumbing is hidden by a false wall, so the owners built in a handy shelf for shower essentials.

To complete the scheme, the couple added two mirrors to throw light around the room. ‘It’s a fairly cheap way of making the space seem larger,’ they say. ‘And it’s easy to get pieces of mirror glass cut to size at a local merchant.’

If you're thinking about ditching the bath and going for a bigger shower, read on for all the shower room ideas you will need

A shower room is a fantastic way to save space in a small bathroom. Removing the bath and building a large shower enclosure will give you plenty of room to move around, making the area look bigger than ever.

Every bathroom, no matter how little, can be transformed into a beautiful shower room. Intelligent design will mean you can enjoy a comfortable space the whole family can use – plus, clever storage solutions will create a clutter-free haven, where everyone can move around freely.

Whether you’re converting an attic or are fed up with a tightly squeezed in bath, we have all the shower room ideas to help you plan your scheme.

Spread out in style

Image credit: Colin Poole

This room has more than enough space for a bathtub. But if you have a bath elsewhere in the house, sometimes you just want a shower room that’s stylish, practical and pretty. And this one definitely ticks all of those boxes. Using the full width of the room means there’s plenty of space to walk into the shower without the need to move any doors or screens.

Don’t let an attic constrict you

Image credit: William Goddard

Attic bathrooms can be notoriously tricky to fit a shower into because of sloping ceilings and head heights. But there are ways to make it work. Just check out this stunning shower room with wood-effect tiling. The shower has been mounted as high as possible, and the beam is a feature rather than a hindrance. A sleek screen keeps the space feeling as open as possible.

Add a little bling to your shower room

Image credit: David Parmiter

Turn an all-white shower room in to something special with glamorous gold tiles and shower fittings. White is great in a compact room as it makes everything light and spacious, while gold adds an instant warming effect.

Be elegant with marble

Image credit: Rachael Smith

The natural veining of marble makes for a stunning backdrop to a walk-in shower. Go for a large-scale tile for the best effect and choose varying colours to create a beautiful patchwork. Using the same tiles from floor to ceiling makes the shower look almost seamless. Here, a small step has been added to accommodate practical drainage, but in fact it only adds to the luxurious feel.

Pick a cool pattern

Image credit: Colin Poole

This room shows just how significant an impact your flooring can have. The pattern adds loads of character to this space and helps to define the shower area, with its plain white shower tray. Marble wall tiles pick out the grey tones of the flooring, too, and add a luxury feel to the scheme. A full-length mirror at one end is great for reflecting light and making the room feel larger than it is.

Do it the country way

Image credit: David Giles

Shower rooms are often seen as more modern than country. But this beautiful scheme manages to achieve a country-chic look without compromising on contemporary comforts. Limestone tiling, plus plenty of wood finishes bring elements of the outdoors inside and create a relaxing space that has nature at its heart.

Style with graffiti

Image credit: Alison Hammond

This sleek shower has been given a cool update with Banksy-inspired tiles. Sure to be a talking point, these tiles are anything but dull and add loads of colour to a neutral space. Grey floor tiles offer an easy-to-keep-clean option that doesn’t interfere with the arty wall.

Think outside the box

Image credit: Jamie Mason

We all know how popular white metro tiles are, but for those of you who want something a little warmer, grey could be the colour for you. Grey looks great with wood and also lends itself well to colourful accents, such as the yellow here. In terms of the shower, the key to its success is its position. It’s a relatively narrow enclosure, but clever planning means there’s a roomy feel to the shower area and therefore also the entire room.

Use every bit of space

Image credit: Colin Poole

Want a cloakroom shower? Consider a wet room design that takes advantage of even the tiniest of spaces. Without any need for a shower screen or shower tray, you will easily be able to squeeze in a shower. Other clever tricks include a space-saving basin and a recessed shelf that keeps all the potions you need easily to hand. Walnut-effect boarding also makes an interesting departure from ever-popular tiling.

Indulge your senses

Image credit: Mark Bolton

If you like a sauna, you’ll love this gorgeous shower room. The marble bench offers the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the benefits of all the steam accumulated after a long wash. A combination of a rainwater head and handheld fittings mean you have all the showering options you need, plus it makes it easy to keep a large enclosure like this clean.

Create a stylish en suite

Image credit: Rachael Smith

This en suite benefits from a generously proportioned shower. But that’s not a given in a compact space like this. With the door opening near to the enclosure, many people might assume it’s impossible to have a spacious shower. So this is a great example of what you can do with a relatively small corner. If it won’t work facing one way, try pointing your shower in another direction until you get the spacious design you crave.

Go for dramatic black

Image credit: Jamie Mason

Choose striking black tiles for the ultimate contrast to white bathroom fittings. Pick an assortment of sizes and styles, from high gloss to slate effect. The shower area has been marked out with small rectangular tiles and these have been broken up with larger-format neutral tiles to lighten the space and avoid it looking too ‘heavy’.

Enhance a narrow room

Image credit: Jonathan Gooch

This is another great example of the good use of a compact space. The shower, loo and basin are all right next to each other, yet this room doesn’t feel at all small. A bath wouldn’t fit in here, but because the shower enclosure runs from wall to wall, it is far larger than a standard cubicle. Mosaic tiling creates a hotel-style feel and recessed shelves mean there’s no need for unsightly storage racks.

Mix light and dark

Image credit: Fraser Marr

Choose a combination of light and dark tiles for a balanced look in your bathroom. Using black marble tiles on the walls looks fantastic but also offers a happily practical benefit: water stains and limescale will be almost invisible. If you want to cover a large space, marble-effect tiles made out of porcelain offer a budget-friendly option that looks really realistic.

As you can see, shower rooms have the potential to be stylish and glamorous spaces. But we have one last piece of wisdom to share – buyers do like there to be at least one bath in a home, so a shower room is best for second bathrooms or en suites. Good luck with your shower room planning!